An old video of Social Media Influencer Balwinder Kataria aka Bobby Kataria recently went viral in which he was shown smoking on a SpiceJet flight. Aviation security agency BCAS, Ministry of Aviation and SpiceJet all issue statements on the matter. While India’s Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said the incident would be investigated, SpiceJet said the action was taken as the passenger was put on the no-flying list by the airline for 15 days in February 2022. The said flight is from January 2022 when Kataria reportedly traveled from Dubai to Delhi.
However, the accused social media influencer Bobby Kataria claimed that it was a dummy plane and it was a part of his shooting in Dubai. “The video in which I was seen smoking is not a normal airplane, it was a fake plane and it was a part of my shooting in Dubai. Lighters are not allowed inside the plane,” Kataria said.
As can be seen in the video, Kataria is seen lying on the plane seat and lighting a cigarette and taking a couple of puffs. “The matter was thoroughly investigated in January 2022 when the video was brought to our notice and a complaint was lodged by the airline at Udyog Vihar police station in Gurugram,” SpiceJet said in a statement.
It further said that the matter came to the notice of the airline through a social media post dated January 24, 2022. “The matter was referred to an internal committee constituted under the provisions of the Civil Aviation Requirements (CAR) on dealing with unruly passengers (not consisting of any SpiceJet employee). The said passenger was put on the No Flying List by the airline for 15 days in February 2022,” the statement added.
Kataria defended himself saying that the video in question is an old video shot in Dubai. “The video in which I was seen smoking is not a normal airplane, it was a fake plane and that was a part of my shoot in Dubai. I want to ask everyone how can a lighter enter an airplane? Can be detected by a scanner. A cigarette can still be carried, but not a lighter. It was shot in 2019 or 2020,” Kataria said.
Investigation found that the accused Balwinder Kataria alias Bobby Kataria had traveled from Dubai to New Delhi via SpiceJet. “The incident happened in January this year. Kataria had boarded a SpiceJet flight from Dubai. A complaint was lodged with the police. Also, as per civil aviation requirements, an investigation was conducted by SpiceJet. He was boarded on SpiceJet flights. Was banned from flying for 15 days. After that,” Scindia said.
Kataria arrived in Delhi on January 23 and the video is no longer available on his Facebook and Instagram pages. “Balwinder Kataria had traveled from Dubai to New Delhi in a SpiceJet flight. He landed in Delhi on January 23. The video is not available on his FB/Insta page. The action was earlier taken by Aviation Security,” Bureau of Civil Aviation Security told ANI.
Soon after its release on social media platforms, the video sparked controversy surrounding the airline’s norms on security and law and order. Another case has also been registered against Kataria at Dehradun’s Cantt police station for allegedly consuming liquor in the middle of a road in Uttarakhand. Uttarakhand Police said a case has been registered under sections 342, 336, 290 and 510 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and 67 of the IT Act.
Regarding the Dehradun video, Kataria said that the video is not from Uttarakhand. “I don’t even remember when it was recorded and even it must have been a part of my shoot, I didn’t consume alcohol and that video is not from Uttarakhand,” he added.
With ANI inputs